Luggage-carrier for automobiles



J. B. RICE.

LUGGAGE CARRIER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED 020.23, 1920.

1,390,387. PatentedSept. 13,1921

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J. 8. RICE.

LUGGAGE CARRIER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.23, I920.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. RICE, 0F UNIONTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

LUGGAGE-CARRIER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

Application filed December 23, 1920. Serial No. 432,722.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. Rrcn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Uniontown, in the county of Fayette and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLuggage-Carriers for Automobiles, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a carrier of thiskind especially adapted for use in connection with the running board ofan automobile, for carrying dress suit cases and the like, when ontouring and camping trips. Furthermore the carrier may be adaptedespecially for use by farmers, so that they can carry cases of eggs,boxes of butter, produce, etc., in fact the carrier may be employed forcarrying almost any character of commodity, which is more or less inbulk.

Another purpose resides in the provision of a carrier comprising a mainstrap having one end connected to one edge of the running board near thebase of the body of an automobile, and its other end buckled adjustablyto a short strap, which is adj ustably connected to the outer edge ofthe main strap, in combination with a plurality of smaller strapsoperatively connected to the main strap, for proper y strapping aplurality of dress suit cases or the like within the main strap, themain strap acting to strengthen and hold or support the dress suit casesin position.

Still another purpose is the provision of means extensible laterallywith relation tothe running board, so as to engage under the overprojecting portion of a lower dress suit case, in order to support andreinforce the weight, said extensible means being retractable, wherebyan upstanding flange thereof may engage flat against the longitudinaledge of the running board.

A further purpose is the provision of means for strengthening theextensible plate or means on the underface of the running board.

Still a further purpose resides in means for avoiding the use of awrench, in fastening the extensible plate or means and another plate onthe upper face of the running board, when using a screw driver to turnthe screw bolts home and in secure position.

While the design and construction at present illustrated and set forthis deemed preferable, it is obvious that as a result of a reduction ofthe invention to a. more practical form for commercial purposes, theinvention may be susceptible of changes, and the right to these changesis claimed, provided they are comprehended within the scope of what isclaimed. e

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, aswill be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of anautomobile, showing the improved carrier as applied thereto, with aplurality of dress suit cases supported on the running board, and heldsecured by the carrier.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the running board, showingthe undersurface thereof, and showing the extensible plate as applied.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of a. running board, showingthe undersurface. thereof, illustrating the manner of connecting theouter end of one section of the main strap of the running board, theundersurface of which is without a wood filler, in fact where the outeredge of the running board is provided with a downwardly projectingflange.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the main strap, showing the plurality ofslides or loops, which receive the auxiliary dress suit case straps.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 designates the runningboard of an automobile, and 2 denotes a plate, which is pro-- vided withan upstanding flange 3. This plate is fastened to the upper face of therunning board near the inner edge thereof and adjacent the lower portionof the body of the automobile, by means of screw bolts 4, which arepassed through the base of the plate, and have their lower ends threadedinto transverse bars 5. The use of these bars avoids the use of aWrench. For instance should nuts be applied to the screw bolts, it wouldbe necessary to use a wrench for engaging the nuts, to hold them, whileturning the screw driver, for the purpose of forcing the screw boltshome. However,

. with the use of the transverse bars, it is it only necessitates thecontinuous turning the screw driver, until the plate on the upper hooks13, which engage the apertures 6 of surface of the board is drawn tightagainstits face. The upstanding flange of the plate is rovidedwithapertures 6.

In order to provide the improved carrier,

whereby a number of dress suit cases can be securely supported on therunning board, a main holding strap 7 is provided. This strap comprisesthe main section 8 and an auxiliary short section 9. The main sectionhas one end folded upon itself as at 10, and

. stitched as at 11. This loop 10 receives the transverse connecting bar12 of a pair of the upstanding flange 3 of the plate at the inner edgeof the running board. One or more rivets 14 are located between thestitches of the folded end of the main section of the strap, in order torender the connection more secure. Also a shield 15 of leather isfastened to the folded part of the dominant section of the main strap.This shield 15 is wide enough corresponding to the length of the plateon the running board and extends downwardly adjacent the outer face ofthe upstanding flange 3, and partly overlies the heads of the screwbolts, to prevent the edge of the bottom dress suit case from beingmarred or otherwise damaged.

The dominant section 8 of the main carrier strap is provided with aplurality of slides or loops 16 fastened to the main section by shortstraps of leather 17 which are stitched to the dominant section of thestrap. These slides or loops 16 receive auxiliary dress suit case straps18 having buckles 19, which pass individually about the dress suitcases, which are disposed in superimposed positions flatwise on therunning board,

with the handles thereof facing outwardly.

On all running boards, which have their under portions provided withwood fillers, such as shown in Fig. 3, with the underface of the filler19 flush with the lower edge of the outer flange 20 of the running boardextensible plates 21 are used. These lates 21 have elongated slots 22through w ich the screw bolts 23 pass. The screw bolts 23 pass throughthe filler of the running board, and are threaded into a bar 24, whichis adjacent the undersurfaceof the extensible plate. Ordinarily, that isto say when the carrier is not in use, the extensible plate 21 isdisposed in a retracted position, with the upstanding flange 27 of theouter end of the plate in contact with the edge of the running board.However when the carrier is in use, the extensible plate is disposed inan extended position, so that the extensible plate may support theprojecting part of the dress suit case. The outer extending flange 27 ofthe extensible plate is provided with apertures 28.

The short section 9 of the main strap is folded upon itself -to providethe loop 29, which receives the transverse connecting bar 30 of the pairof hooks 31. These hooks 31 engage the apertures 28 when the carrier isin use. The folded part of the short section 9 of the main strap isstitched and riveted as at 32, and also fastened by thesame stitches andrivets, is a shield 33 of leather, to-overlie the hooks, preventing thehooks from catching and damaging a persons clothing. The short section 9of the main strap carries a buckle 34, which adjustably connects withthe outer end of the dominant section of the main strap.

In order to hold a plurality of dress suit cases on the running board ofan automobile, an auxiliary strap is engaged about each dress suit case,say for instance there being four in number. The lower dress suit caserest upon the running board, with the short section 9 of the main strappassed through the handle of the dress suitcase. The outer end of thedominant section of the main strap is positioned over the superimposeddress suit cases and engaged through the several handles, and is thenbuckled to the short section of the main strap. The main strap is drawntight, and through the .medium of this construction and the auxiliaryindividual straps, the several dress suit cases may be held firmly andsecurely in position.

The longitudinal edges of the extensible plate 21 are provided withdownwardly extending strengthening flanges 35, thereby reinforcing theplate, particularly when in an extended position.

Some running boards, instead of having wood fillers on theirundersurfaces, are provided with downwardly extending flanges 36 ontheir outer edges, and in this instance apertures 37 are formed in'theflanges to receive the hooks of the short section of the main strapotherwise the construction of the carrier is the same as in the otherfigures.

It may be found necessary in some cases to use short boards, asindicated at 38 in Fig. 2 resting upon the upper face of the runningboard and under the lower dress suit case, thereby preventing the lowersuit case from breaking down over the edge of the running board.

'It is obvious that the main strap as well as the auxiliary straps maybe of any suitablelength, and of any suitable width and furthermorewhile only one main strap with its series of auxiliary straps areillustrated and described and clalmed, 1t is obvious that any number ofmain straps can be used. In

these cases, it is possible to carry more luggage than when simply asingle main strap is used.

In this construction of carrier, it is obvious that the suit cases canbe held properly in position, and such wise that they cannot tilt orshift excessibly.

It is to be noted that the carrier, as well as the dress suit cases arenot designed to be fastened to the body of the vehicle. The onlyfastening is between the carrier and the running board of theautomobile, therefore it is possible to place around the dress suitcases and over them a water proof cover (not shown), which may extenddown on all sides, and particularly between the dress suit cases and thebody of the automobile, as the dress suit cases and the carrier are notattached to the body. The water proof cover is designed for the purposeof protecting the dress suit cases from the weather.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as being usefulis 1. In a carrier, a main carrier strap comprising dominant andauxiliary sections, the dominant section being connected to the inneredge of the running board adjacent the body of the automobile, theauxiliary section being connected to the outer edge of the runningboard, the two sectionsengaging about the luggage, and a plurality ofauxiliary straps adjustably and detachably connected to the main strapfor passing about each" article of luggage.

2. In a luggage carrier for automobiles, the combination with therunning board, of a main strap comprising dominant and auxiliarysections, the dominant section being connected to the inner edge of therunning board'adjacent the body of the automobile, the auxiliary sectionbeing adjustably connected to the outer edge of the running board, thetwo sections passing about the luggage and being adjustably connected,and means for connecting each article of luggage to the main strap.

3. In a luggage-carrier for automobiles, the combination with therunning board, of a main strap comprising dominant and auxiliarysections, the dominant section being connected to the inner edge of therunning board adjacent the body of the automobile, the auxiliary sectionbeing adjustably connected to the outer edge of the running board, thetwo sections passing about the luggage and being adjustably connected,and means for connecting each article of luggage to the main strap, ashield adjacent where the dominant section is connected to the runningboard to prevent marring of the luggage.

4. In a luggage carrier for automobiles, the combination with therunning board, of a main strap comprising dominant and auxiliarysections, the dominant section being connected to the inner edge of therunning board adjacent the body of the automobile, the auxiliary sectionbeing adjustably connected to the outer edge of the running board, thetwo sections passing about the luggage and being adjustably connected,and means for connecting each article of luggage to the main strap, anda shield carried by the auxiliary section of the main strap, to preventdamaging ones clothing by being engaged with the connections of theauxihary strap to the running board.

5. In a luggage carrier for automobiles, the combination with a runningboard, of an extensible member connected to the undersurface of therunning board, a main luggage strap having one end detachably connectedto the inner edge of the running board adjacent the body of theautomobile, and its other end connected to the outer portion oftheextensible member, and a plurality of indlvldual luggage holdersconnected to the main strap, thereby assisting in holding luggage on therunning board.

6. In a luggage carrier for automobiles, the combination with a runningboard, of an extensible member connected to the undersurface of therunning board, amain luggage strap having one end detachably connectedto the inner edge of the running board adjacent the body of theautomobile, and its other end connected to the outer portion of theextensible member, and a plurality of in dividual luggage holdersconnected to the main strap, thereby assisting in holding luggage on therunning board, and means for shielding the luggage at a point near theinner edge of the running board, and means for shielding ones clothingat the point where the main strap connects to the extensible member.

7. In a luggage carrier for automobiles, the combination with a runningboard, of a main luggage strap having one end connected to the inneredge of the running board near the base of the automobile body, itsother end connected to the outer edge of the running board, said strapbeing adjustable to fit different size luggage, and means carried by themain strap for engaging about individual articles of luggage.

8. In a device of the character and for the purpose indicated, thecombination with an automobile running board, of a plate secured to theinner portion of the running board adjacent the body and provided withan upstanding flange, a main strap comprising dominant and auxiliarysections, the dominant section having a hook engaged with said flange,an extensible member secured to the under face of the running board nearits outer edge, a hook carried by the auxiliary section and connected tosaid extensible member, means adjustably connecting the dominant andauxiliary sections, and a plurality of straps, one for each of aplurality of dress suit cases and being adjustably connected to thedominant section.

9. In a luggage carrier of the character and for the purpose indicated,the combination with an automobile running board, of a plate secured tothe upper face of the running board adjacent its inner edge and havingan upstanding flange, an extensible member adjustably secured'to theunder face of the running board adjacent its outer edge, a main strapcomprlsing domlnant and auxiliary sections, the former being attached tosaid flange, the latter being detachably connected to the extensiblemember, means adoverlying the outer end of the extensiblemember, toprotect ones clothing, and a plurality of straps, each for a dress suitcase and being adjustably and detachably connected to the dominantsection of the main strap. y

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

JOHN B. RlGE.

